Combination door and supporting structure



Nov. 25, 1941. M. LANDSBERG ET AL 2,263,782

COMBINATION DOOR AND SUPPORTING STRUCTURE Filed April 22, 1940 aim Patented Nov. 25, 1941 E T mar COMBINATION DOOR AND SUPPORTING STRUCTURE Maurice Landsberg and Dimitri Gorbatenko,

San Francisco, Califi.

Application April 22, 1940, Serial No. 330,946

12 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in a combination door and supporting member, and more particularly to means operable by the movement of a door for automatically projecting and retracting a supporting structure, I

An object of our invention is to provide improved means adapted to be operated by the opening and closing of a door for projecting and retracting a step, shelf, tray or other supporting structure.

Another object of our invention is to provide an improved combination comprising a door, a supporting structure and means connecting the door and the supporting structure, whereby upon the opening and closing of the door the supporting structure may be first projected to a position where it is readily accessible and then retracted or moved to an out-of-the-way or concealed position.

A further object of our invention is to provide an improved door and step combination for Veh-icles, whereby when the door is opened the step may be automatically projected from a concealed or out-of-the-way position to one in which it is available for use by a person desiring to enter the vehicle through the door, and when the door is closed the said step is automatically returned to its initial or normal position.

Other and further objects of our invention will be pointed out hereinafter, or will be indicated in the appended claims, or will be obvious to one skilled in the art upon an understanding of the our invention herein shown and described is for the purpose of illustration only, and that therefore it is not to be regarded as exhaustive of the variationsof the invention; nor is it to be given an interpretation such as might have the effect of limiting the claims short of the true and most comprehensive scope of the invention in the art.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view taken horizontally through a closed door having our projectible and retractable step operatively connected thereto;

' Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the door opened and the step in a projected position;

Fig. '3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view showing the spring pressed members which are located in the slotted arcuate bar carriedby the door.

Referring, to Figs. 1,, 2, 3 and l of the drawing,

the numeral I. designates a side wallof a, vehicle or other structure. having an opening which is normally closed by ahinged door 2.. The thresh-. old 3- of the door,,and, the. structure 3f: beneath. "and to the rear of it, are horizontally slotted or recessed as at 4,. andjwithin the same a step or supporting structure 5. is slidably and pivotally positioned. The end of the step .5 located adjacent the hinged side of the door is pivoted as at 6,,and the said step is adapted to be actuated when the door is opened and closed, first to a projected position, as shown in Fig. 2, and then to a retracted position, as shown in Fig- 1.

Secured as by a vertical extension 1 screwed to the door 2 near its hinged side is a horizontaltion is decidedly closer to the latter than tothe former.

' Carried'by the bar 1 and projecting into the slot lot" are opposed spring'pressed balls oryield able members 9 which are positioned fairly near that end of the slot located closesttothe door 2.

When the door 2 is ina closed position, the :pin 8 is positioned between the yieldable members 9 and that end of theslot 1a; located adjacent the depending vertical extension 1'. As soon as the door is slightly opened the slotted bar '1 is carried with it to a position whereby the iyieldable members 9 engage with the upwardly projecting pin 8 of the step 5. As the door is further opened the yieldable members 9 continue to engage with the pin 8, and as the bar I is bodily actuated'through a segment of a circle with the door hinge as a pivot, the step 5 is also pivotally actuated aboutits pivot 6 to a projected position. The free end of'the step 5 is provided with a protuberance 5' which is adapted to engage with a notch or stop member 3a on the I structure 3', thereby limiting the outward movement of the'said step. As soon as theprotuberance 5" of' the step 5 engages with the notch or stop member 3a, the outward. movement ofthe step is discontinued, and asthe door 2 is further J opened and the slotted bar 'I is also carried with it, the yieldable members 9 ride past the pin 8 to allow the said door to fully open. When the door is swung inwardly the step 5 is not moved inwardly until the yieldable members 9 are carried into engagement with the pin 8, and at that particular time the said door has already been almost closed. The final movement of the door to a closed position after the yieldable members 9 engage the pin 8 causes the step 5 to be carried inwardly to a fully retracted position.

When the step 5 is fully projected it remains in such a position, irrespective of whether the door is moved about its hinge either toward or away from the opening in the wall I it normally closes, providing, however, said movement in a direction toward the said opening is not sufficient to bring the yieldable members 9 of the slotted bar 1 into engagement with the pin 8 of the said step.

In the commercial embodiment of our invention suitable ball bearings or other anti-friction means is interposed between the supporting structure 5 and its mounting. The small and large circles shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 2 show, respectively, the arcuate path's described by. the pin 8 and the arcuate slotted bar 1 when they are moved about the pivot pin 6 and the door hinge during the opening and closing of the door. It is apparent that in place of the yieldable members 9 on the link I, other means may be used for releasably engaging with and actuating the supporting structure 5 about its pivot.

Having described our invention, what we claim is: a

"1. In apparatus of the character described, a hinged door, an independently pivoted supporting structure mounted for movement in a substantially horizontal plane, link means carried bythe door-and slidably engaging with the supporting structure, and means located at a predetermined position on the link means for releasably engaging with and moving the supporting structure about its pivot when the door upon being opened or closed is moved through a certain angle.

2. In apparatus of the character described, a hinged door, an independently pivoted supporting structure mounted for movement in a substantially horizontal plane, link means. carried by thedoor and slidably connected to the supporting structure, and means carried by the link means for actuating the suppporting member about its pivot upon the door being. moved in either direction to and beyond a certain position.

3. In apparatus of the character described, a hinged door mounted to close an opening in a wall, an independently pivoted supporting structure positioned beneath the door and normally disposed in a retracted position when the door is closed, a slotted arcuate shaped member carried by the door, a projecting member secured to the supporting structure and slidably disposed in the slot of arcuate shaped member, and means carried by the arcuate shaped member for engaging with the projecting member of the supporting structure when the said arcuate member has been carried by the door to a certain, position, whereby'upon the further movement of the door and the arcuate member, the supporting structure may be actuated about'its pivot.

- 4. In apparatus of the character described, a hinged door mounted to-close an opening in a wall, a supporting structure mounted at one end on a pivot located adjacentthe hinged side of the door, a projecting member .secured to the supporting structure at a point intermediate the pivot; and the free ends of the said supporting structure, an arcuate shaped member carried by the door and slidably engaging with the projecting member, and means located at a predetermined position on the arcuate shaped member for positively engaging with the said projecting member when the said arcuate member has been carried by the door to a certain position, whereby upon the continued movement of the door the supporting structure will be actuated about its pivot.

5. In apparatus of the character described, a hinged door mounted to close an opening in a wall, a supporting structure pivotally mounted at one end on a pivot located adjacent the hinged side of the door, an arcuate shaped member carried by the door and positioned along an are described by the pivotal movement of the door, a member carried by the supporting structure and positioned intermediate its pivoted and free ends for slidably engaging with the arcuate shaped member, and means positioned on the arcuate shaped member for intercepting and engaging the member of the supporting structure when the said arcuate shaped member has been moved by the door to a certain position, whereby upon the continued movement of the door in the same direction the supporting structure will be actuated about its pivot.

6. In apparatus of the character described, a hinged door mounted to close an opening in a wall, a supporting structure pivotally mounted at one end on-a pivot located adjacent the hinged side of the door, an arcuate shaped member carried by the door and slidably embracing the supporting structure at a point thereon intermediate its pivoted and its free ends, the said arcuate shaped member assuming a position corresponding to an are described by the pivotal movement of the door, and means carried by the arcuate shaped member for intercepting and engaging the supporting structure when the said arcuate shaped member has been moved by the door to a certain position, whereby upon the continued movement of the door in the same direction the supporting structure will be actuated about its pivot.

7. In apparatus of the character described, a hinged door mounted to close an opening in a wall, a supportingstructure pivotally mounted at one end on a pivot located adjacent the hinged side of the door, an arcuate shaped member carried by the door and slidably embracing the supporting structure at a point thereon intermediate its pivoted and its free ends, the said arcuate shaped member assuming a position corresponding to an arc described by the pivotal movement of the door, and yieldable means carried by the arcuate shaped member for intercepting and engaging the supporting structure when the said arcuate shaped member has been moved by the door to a certain position, whereby upon the continued movement of the door in th same direction the supporting structure will be actuated about its pivot, the said yieldable means when the supporting structure is intercepted and stopped in its pivotal movement being adapted to be disengaged from the supporting structure as the door and arcuate shaped member are further. moved in the same direction.

8. In apparatus of the character described, a hinged door mounted to close an opening in a wall, a supporting structure pivotally mounted at one end on a pivot located adjacent the hinged side of the door, an arcuate shaped member carried by the door and having a slot thereinlying along an arc described by the pivotal movement of the door, a projection on the supporting structure slidably positioned in the slot of the arcuate shaped member, and yieldable means projecting into the slot of the arcuate member and located at a predetermined point intermediate the ends of the slot, the said yieldable means being adapted to intercept and engage the projection of the supporting structure when the latter is carried by the door to a certain position, and the said yieldable means being adapted when it engages with the said projection to move the supporting structure about its pivot, and means for preventing the pivotal movement of the supporting structure beyond a certain point, whereby the yieldable means may be released from engagement with the projection as the door is continued to be pivotally moved in the same direction.

9. In apparatus of the character described, a hinged door, an independently pivoted structure adapted to move in a substantially horizontal plane, and a connecting link carried by the door having means thereon for releasably engaging with and actuating the supporting structure when the door is moved beyond a certain position, the said last mentioned means being so positioned on the link that when the door is moved beyond a certain position the step will be disengaged thereby and the door may then be moved independently of the step.

10. In apparatus of the character described, a hinged door mounted to close an opening, a pivoted supporting structure slidably mounted beneath the opening, and a connecting link carried by the door and means on thelink for releasably engaging with the supporting structure whereby when the door is being moved to an open position! the supporting structure is projected outwardly about its pivot, and when the door is being closed the supporting structure is actuated in the opposite direction.

11. In combination with a vehicle body having a side opening, a hinged door positioned to close the opening, a retractable step pivotally mounted beneath the opening for movement in a substantially horizontal plane, and link means carried by the door, having means thereon for releasab'ly engaging with the step and actuating the same about its pivot to a projected position when the door is opened and in the opposite direction to a retracted position when the door is closed, the said last mentioned means being so positioned on the link means that when the dooris moved beyond a certain position the step will be disengaged thereby and the door may then be moved independently of said step.

12. In combination with a vehicle body having a side opening, a hinged door positioned to close the opening, a retractable step pivotally mounted beneath the opening, a projecting member on the step, link means carried by the door and slidably engaging withthe projecting member of the step, and releasable means carried by the link means for yieldably engaging with the projecting member of the step when the door is opened and closed, the said releasable means being so arranged and constructed as to become released from the projecting member when the door has been moved beyond a position whereby the step is fully projected or fully retracted, and means for preventing the step from being projected beyond a certain position.

MAURICE LANDSBERG. DIMITRI GORBATENKO. 

